TR EMERITUS

With reference to the article printed in Strait Times 15th July, I will like to question the rationality of bringing in 100k more foreigners to compete with the existing workforce. So far, I had seen Foreigners replacing Singaporeans AT EVERY LEVEL of the employment market. It is no longer the case whereby Foreigners are hired to take over jobs that Singaporeans shunned. In the article, Mr Lee had stated that the inflow will be carefully calibrated, can we then conclude that for the past years, the inflow had been unrestrained? The GDP had raised for the past 5 years, but Singaporeans had experienced only rising cost of living, economic downturn and stagnent wages. Can it be partially attributed to the influx of foreigners into our job market? It is heartening to see Singapore experience a higher economic growth then the rest of the world. But are we growing the economy the correct and sustainable way? GDP growth for Singapore is largely attributed to inflation and influx of foreigners, hence a growth to the overall population. The yearly 2% inflation, cum the yearly 2.5% increase to overall population had increase our GDP, but increasing GDP does not constitute an overall improvement in standard of living. Indeed, our wages had remained stagnent for the past 5 years. In fact, Ministry of Manpower had chosen to sit on it hands and comment that although they know about the stagnent wages, they cannot force companies to increase wages. Supply/cost records had always show that in events of insufficient supply, cost will increase. Our stagnent wages can thus be directly attributed to the aburdence of labor supply. Next, WHY THEN ARE WE ALLOWING FOREIGNERS TO DIRECTLY COMPETE WITH US FOR JOBS THAT SINGAPOREANS WILL WILLINGLY FILLED?? The rational behind welcoming Foreigners is always "to fill positions which Singaporeans shunned". In the past 5 years, failed policies, insufficient enforcement and inadequent governing had resulted in companies blatantly flogging labour laws to expand their businesses. The governing bodies had failed to review, inspect and enforce policies and laws to protect Singaporeans in the job market. Singaporeans have to directly compete with Foreigners for jobs at a unlevel playing field. Employers hiring Foreigners can forgo CPF contributions, NS commitments, staff benefits and lower wages expectation. Again, WHY THEN ARE WE ALLOWING FOREIGNERS TO DIRECTLY COMPETE WITH US FOR JOBS THAT SINGAPOREANS WILL WILLINGLY FILLED?? We cannot control employers' hiring policies, but we need to seriously look into mitigating the benefits of hiring foreigners. The levy imposed, a meagre $150 is INSUFFICIENT. Such is the saving for the employers, that without further regulations, they will continue to hire more foreigners and marginalised Singaporeans workers. Plight of our elderly workers is even worse. After a certain age limit, they will be expected to take a "voluntary paycut" to stay in a job. Workload most likely won't be reduced, but staff benefit and wages will be cut back to "increase the attractiveness of hiring the elderly". This is a failed policy, bordering on blatent discrimination of elderly workers. If this was even suggested in other countries, Industrial actions will be launched and the government booted out. Again, I will like to emphasize that the influx of foreigners had directly impacted the attractiveness of elderly workers. Thus the requirements for the "voluntary paycut". I believe that criteria for admission and breakdown of FT/sectors should be disclosed to allow independent studies and discussions to find a long term solution for a supposely insufficient workforce. Current policies had clearly show the inability of our Ministry of Manpower to increase attractiveness of Singaporean Workers. It is time to open the topic to the masses to find a long term solution.     Soh Jun Hong  Read More →

According to a Chinese Finance magazine, Singaporeans need to slog the longest to afford a 70 square meter condominium in their own countries. (read article here) Berliners need only work 3 years to pay off the housing loan while Singaporeans need to work a shocking 36.4 years in order to do so. In Asia, Thais need only work the shortest period of time to buy a similar-sized condominium. Though the wages of Thai workers are relatively low compared to Singapore, their properties are much cheaper which explain the discrepancy. While Japan is the most expensive country in Asia to live in, the average Japanese need only work 16 years to purchase such a condominium, 20 years less than Singapore. The authoritative article was not published by the state media which continues to churn out propaganda daily to support the PAP's lop-sided housing policies in favor of foreigners. The results should come as no surprise. A UBS report published last year revealed that Singaporeans have the lowest wages and domestic purchasing power among developed nations. After Hong Kong, Singapore has the largest income gap between the rich and the poor among the thirty most advanced world economies. The median salary of the average Singapore worker has remained stagnant at $2,400 monthly while the cost of living, especially that of housing has sky-rocketed in recent years. The low wages of the Singapore worker is contributed partly by the PAP pro-foreigner and ultra liberal-immigration policies which have seen the country being flooded by foreign workers. A Wall Street Journal article in January this year wrote that the relentless influx of foreigners has depressed the wages of ordinary Singaporeans, increased the cost of living and led to an overall decline in the standards of living. It will be interesting to know the number of years an average Singapore worker needs to work to afford a similar-sized HDB flat. Based on current prices, it is unlikely to be less than 30 years.     Please join our Facebook page here and invite your friends to do so to create awareness of the current affairs affecting Singaporeans. Please use our online web form to contact us.  Read More →

A massive outcry has erupted in Singapore's blogosphere with many netizens lampooning PAP Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for his "promise" to bring in 100,000 more foreign workers into Singapore. Speaking in the United States a few days ago, PM Lee claimed that the rise in the number of foreign workers was “inevitable” due to the strong growth of the Singapore economy without substianting his statements. “It cannot be helped because with the market so tight, if we don’t allow the foreign workers in, you are going to have overheating,” PM Lee was quoted as saying in the Straits Times. PM Lee claimed that the PAP is “managing” the number of foreign workers by “calibrating” their levies to “moderate” the inflow. “‘But even with that, I would imagine there would be more than 100,000 extra foreign workers this year. I cannot see it otherwise. We have to accept that,” he added. Foreign workers help to reduce labor costs, thereby inflating GDP growth figures artificially in the process. A certain percentage of the PAP ministers’ multi-million pay is pegged to GDP growth – the higher the growth rates, the more money they bring home. The outpouring of disgruntlement, disbelief and anger in cyberspace is an indication of the deep-seated unhappiness at the PAP's pro-foreigner and ultra-liberal immigration policies. Nearly a thousand comments are posted on Yahoo News so far with the majority of them against PM Lee's initiative to bring in more foreign workers: Singaporean: "Singaporeans are jobless and receiving a very low pay and yet more foreigners coming!!!!!! Stop this shit PAP!!! PAP really sucks!!!" Disappointed: "I’m really disappointed. Why govt keep importing foreigners? And yet, the govt department does not recognise degrees from foreign universities (except those top tier-ed uni). Locals from such university cant find jobs in the government department. Why?" Sekaran Renjiah: "The PM is intending to allow another exodus of 100,000 foerign workers into S’pore’s workforce as he says “the move was unavoidable as the labour market here is bursting at its seams”. But I don’t understand where tis ppl gets their facts fr. Is nos. & percentages gd enough to make such drastic decisions ?? The reality is, there are tons of us out there looking for jobs like mad dogs but to no avail. Every weekend I receive job opportunities in the civil service thru [email protected]. But whenever I apply they send me an email stating regret in not being able to employ me. But yet again the post ad is repeated every week. Why is tat so? Does tis reflects tat there are no takers & thus foreign talents need to be employed?? Or is it tat by bringing foreign talents the gov can profit more in terms of levy or low wages??? Pls look after ur citizens 1st !! We voted for u to represent us not to imprison us !!!!" Sad: "I am 40 plus I am not able to get a job. I have send many job applications and even went to Alexandra Hospital personal for a job interview as a Therapist Assistance still I am not given the job. Yet they say they need more staff for the hospital industry. More foreigns are given the Job in the hopital even doing pharmacy assist packing of medicine behind counter they want chinese speaking staff. Even I look for a job as a parttime packer I went to the recruit express in Jurong for an interview still no call from the agency. But went you look in the paper there is lot of vacancy why are they not employing the Indian and Malay.I have always voted for the government but this election I have to think twice. They say singaporean are fussy and always complaining.As if we have nothing better to do. These foreigner come to singapore to make money and retire back in their homeland. Yes they may have their PR but the time to retire they have a business in their homeland because their currency value low. In singapore dollar 400 in philippines is a bank manager salary 19000 peos. Two month ago I went for an interview as an operator the pay was $1000. Three singaporean and one philippino PR went for the interview the Production manager and supervior was a filipo and they employ the the philippino PR and the three singaporean was not given the job. Why was the job not given to the singaporean because we are not capable to do the job, not truth they only like to employ their own people the filipo. Not only they come here to work they break family. They strip the men until he has nothing but only his brief then he has no where to go only to the street or old folk home. Nowday, I see people sleeping in void deck." Kamum: "Allowing foreigners in is to displace those Singaporeans who don’t support them.Simple formula for staying in power so that in the name of politics they can enrich themselves further.PAP members are shameless. The President of the most powerful nation, in terms of politics, military and economic is only paid fraction of our ‘Minister of State’. Are we saying our junior ministers are much more capable than any world leaders? Simply shameful and disgusting. If these ministers are allowed to run a company outside Singapore, I bet all of them will fail miserably. That is the reason we need more foreigners to work for Singapore and these elites could reap the benefit. Poor Singaporeans, strangers in their own land. Long live Gong Li."     Please join our Facebook page here and invite your friends to do so to create awareness of the current affairs affecting Singaporeans. Please use our online web form to contact us.  Read More →